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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. rule — government
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rule — a law
  14. wax — to grow
  15. drill — a practice
  16. object — to protest
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. land — to come down
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. deal — a big deal

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