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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — hurry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. craft — boats
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — ground
  24. rush — to hurry

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