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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spell — letters
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. race — a contest
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — a short time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — a break
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — humankind
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. staff — employees

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