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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: wax · land · lash · rule · bank · ball · ruler · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. land — a country
  4. bank — of a river
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. land — to come down
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — government
  24. ball — a great time

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