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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — in football
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. band — a ring
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wax — to grow
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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