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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. face — to point toward
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. drill — the tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. shower — to wash
  22. content — the amount
  23. drill — army training
  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