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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — the fruit
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — for betting
  23. scale — size or range
  24. date — on the calendar

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