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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — a position
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. root — the cause
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — a container

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