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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: bay · fall · ruler · bore · deal · wax · trunk · capital

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — a city
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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