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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — ground
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. clip — a video
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — to come down
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — government
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mug — a face
  20. land — a country
  21. rule — a law
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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