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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: pitch · wax · nail · mouse · arm · present · ruler · tear

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tear — to rip
  12. present — the time now
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — there

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