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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — child
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kid — to tease
  20. charge — a price
  21. drill — army training
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bear — to put up with

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