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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · wax · ruler · net · lie · tube · patient · mouse

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. tube — a container
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. net — in sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — a sick person

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