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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: net · ruler · branch · firm · game · wax · kick · lash

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — a company
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — for catching
  16. wax — to grow
  17. firm — decided
  18. game — wild animals
  19. firm — steady
  20. game — a match
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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