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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mate — a partner
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. roll — a list
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — to keep secret

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