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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rule — a law
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. club — a group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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