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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — letters
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — magic
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cell — a phone
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cell — in a prison

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