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

Word bank: date · swing · rule · club · wax · lie · lash · ruler

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — for golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. swing — music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rule — a law
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — to rule 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