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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.

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: tear · ruler · scale · fan · cabinet · rock · lean · wax

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wax — for sculpting

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