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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — happening now
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. current — electric
  20. board — to get on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — animal skin

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