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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: firm · tear · bear · wax · cue · ruler · hand · season

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — a company
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hand — help
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. season — of the year
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cue — a signal

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