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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · ruler · pound · temple · rule · wax

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — a law
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rule — government
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — side of the head

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