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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. wax — to grow

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