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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — steady
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ball — a great time
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — thin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — the animal

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