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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · swing · lie · land · ruler · season · perch · wax

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — a country
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — to come down
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hand — help
  14. season — of the year
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — ground
  24. swing — to play on

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