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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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468
Word bank
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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fall — to drop
  24. temple — a place of worship

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