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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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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: kick · band · bank · hand · ruler · bay · wax · lie

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a music group
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — help
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. band — a ring
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. kick — in football
  24. wax — for sculpting

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