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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
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: kid · ruler · court · suit · face · wax · hand · game

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — of a king
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. court — of law
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — to confront
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. court — for sport
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a match

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