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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. present — the time now
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — to spend time

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