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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: ruler · wax · squash · leaves · tear · plane · stock · lash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stock — shares
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stock — goods
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. leaves — to go away

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