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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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — to come down
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — a country
  12. last — final
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a trace
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — for measuring

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