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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kid — child
  3. shower — rain
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — happening now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kid — to tease

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