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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · calf · chip · stick · lash · pitcher · lie · ruler

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — for betting

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