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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: rash · wound · spring · lie · file · ruler · dip · wax

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spring — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — to recline
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. file — a tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spring — of water
  24. rash — on the skin

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