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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lean — to bend
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. root — the cause
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. drill — army training
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  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