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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a document
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cue — a signal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — hasty
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — for sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. file — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — to grow
  18. field — a subject
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — a series
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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