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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
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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 · ruler · wave · mouse · march · spring · date · file

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spring — a coil
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — music
  18. file — a document
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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