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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — a hint
  4. scale — in music
  5. face — to confront
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — a partner
  13. face — to point toward
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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