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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cap — of ice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — a lid
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cap — a hat
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cold — an illness

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