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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — a position
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spring — the season
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spring — of water
  21. content — the amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com