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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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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kid — child
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. object — an aim
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — a signal
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. object — to protest

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