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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — to point toward
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stand — to bear
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. face — to confront
  23. drill — army training
  24. ruler — for measuring

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