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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — a break
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — what's left

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