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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: tear · perch · trunk · fine · wax · content · ruler · shower

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fine — all right
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — to rip
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — the amount
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — rain

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