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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. present — a gift
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — the time now
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — the earth
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kid — child
  19. ground — a position
  20. net — after costs
  21. ground — crushed
  22. present — there
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ruler — a monarch

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