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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 120 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: ruler · wax · swing · snap · race · scale · press · face

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wax — to grow
  6. race — the arms race
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. race — humankind
  13. face — part of the head
  14. race — a contest
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to confront
  18. press — a publisher
  19. swing — music
  20. snap — to click
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ruler — a monarch

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