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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 124 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. face — to confront
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a ring
  8. march — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. face — to point toward
  15. shower — rain
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. charge — electricity
  20. march — the month
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — for measuring

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