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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: patient · lash · wax · temple · lie · snap · ruler · prune

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. temple — side of the head

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