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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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. staff — employees
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to succeed

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