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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. drill — a practice
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — crushed
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — a position
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. drill — army training
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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