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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cold — an illness
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wax — to grow

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