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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — rain
  7. net — for catching
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. field — farmland
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — in sport
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cell — in biology

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