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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 124 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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468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cell — in biology
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. root — the cause
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. root — of a word
  18. wax — to grow
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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