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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: scale · bore · chair · rest · wax · lash · degree · lie

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — from a university
  5. scale — in music
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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