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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: lash · branch · rush · pit · wax · ruler · cold · content

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. content — the amount
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pit — a hole
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — to lash out

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