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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wax — to grow
  10. shower — rain
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. shower — to wash

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