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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — to get on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. board — a committee
  8. wax — to grow
  9. field — a subject
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wax — in the ear

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