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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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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: ruler · shower · cap · straw · wax · lash · present · lean

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. cap — a lid
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. shower — rain
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. present — the time now
  23. shower — to wash
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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