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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — soda
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. file — a tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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