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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — a group
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. club — for golf
  13. scale — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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