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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mark — a trace
  19. track — a song
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — for digging
  24. dip — to sink

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