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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spell — letters
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — in a road
  23. spell — magic
  24. bore — gave birth

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