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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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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: kid · bat · march · cabinet · bowl · wax · saw · ruler

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. march — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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