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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. last — to go on
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — government
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — final
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. last — finally
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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