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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: rash · wax · pop · lie · ruler · perch · tear · clip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rash — a series
  19. clip — a video
  20. pop — soda
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — from crying

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