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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: patient · kick · fan · lie · wax · squash · ruler · cap

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. kick — in football

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