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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — for digging
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. root — the cause
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. march — music
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. ruler — a monarch

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