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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lean — thin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kid — child
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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