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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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