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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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 — a monarch
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. object — to protest
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — music
  14. bass — low music
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — to come down
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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