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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. last — final
  21. march — the month
  22. last — finally
  23. chip — to eat
  24. last — to go on

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