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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: cap · ruler · lash · cell · wound · wave · staff · can

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wound — an injury

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