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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 116 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: present · rush · ruler · content · lie · chip · lash · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. content — the amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chip — in a computer

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