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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. degree — an amount
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — to grow
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — a tin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — a break

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