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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 120 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 · trunk · shower · wax · rest · ruler · lie · scale

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rash — a series
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — in music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. shower — rain

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