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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. net — for catching
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — in sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. staff — a stick

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