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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kid — child
  16. tear — to rip
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — to tease
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bank — for money

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