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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.

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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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