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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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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — the tool
  6. march — music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — happening now
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. current — electric
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — army training
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. current — of water
  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