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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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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: stick · ruler · present · net · scale · lash · hand · rest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. net — in sport
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rest — what's left

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