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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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