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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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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: lash · wax · ruler · race · press · fan · temple · bat

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — humankind
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. race — a contest
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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