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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — help

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