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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — a group
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — for golf
  17. pop — soda
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cold — an illness

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