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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cold · rash · bore · wax · net · mate · ball

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bore — to tire
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — in sport
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a dance

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