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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
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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: mate · face · tear · scale · lean · ruler · squash · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — to confront
  16. mate — a partner
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — in music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. tear — to rip

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