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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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Word bank
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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: ruler · jam · present · wax · deal · craft

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — to handle
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. present — a gift
  18. craft — a handicraft

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