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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wind — moving air
  9. land — to come down
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — a country
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. land — ground
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — to lash out

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