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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.

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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: mark · ruler · wax · stem · pound · net · tear · mine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. net — after costs

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