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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. vault — a safe
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rule — government
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — a law

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