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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hand — help
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mate — a friend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hand — part of the body

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