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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mug — to rob
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mug — a cup
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. game — a match
  23. mug — a face
  24. root — of a word

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