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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — a line
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — a face
  18. track — a song
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rest — what's left

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