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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — a thing
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — to protest
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. degree — an amount
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — in the ear

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