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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — letters
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — shares
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — goods
  21. spell — magic
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chair — a leader

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