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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. band — a music group
  18. pound — a weight
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wax — to grow
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cold — an illness
  24. band — a ring

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