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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — steady
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — decided
  9. land — to come down
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a ring
  14. last — final
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — a country
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — a company
  24. land — ground

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