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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: wax · bass · lean · ruler · court · club · lash · land

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. land — ground
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. court — of law
  9. club — for golf
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — the fish
  15. land — a country
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. court — of a king
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. court — for sport

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