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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bass — low music
  7. drill — army training
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wax — in the ear
  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