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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: rock · bear · wax · drill · ruler · chip · capital · foot

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — army training
  15. wax — to grow
  16. capital — a city
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. capital — money
  24. bear — the animal

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