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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: mark · shower · hand · ruler · chest · pit · wax · foot

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chest — a box
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — rain
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wax — in the ear

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