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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. present — a gift
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — there
  18. roll — a list
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — the time now
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bear — to put up with

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