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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. vault — a safe
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ground — a position
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. net — in sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. net — after costs
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. net — for catching
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — government
  24. wax — to grow

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