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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.

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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: wax · mine · can · pass · rush · ruler · bat · tear

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — a tin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bat — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to spend time

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