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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — music
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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