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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. last — to go on
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — final
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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