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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — crushed
  4. band — a ring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ground — a position
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ground — the earth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a music group

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