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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — in control
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. file — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — in music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. scale — size or range
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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