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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 would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rush — hurry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. object — an aim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — of a river
  21. shower — rain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. object — a thing
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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