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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: bat · press · row · fork · ruler · fine · wax · fall

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. press — to push
  20. fall — the season
  21. row — a line
  22. fine — all right
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bat — for baseball

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