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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.

Make a worksheet

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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. march — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — the month

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