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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. game — a match
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bore — to drill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — to grow
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — wild animals

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