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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. race — humankind
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a document
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. race — a contest
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bass — low music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pound — a weight

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