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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bat — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — in sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — a container
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — to grow
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — in the ear

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