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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — to grow

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