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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spell — letters
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. land — ground
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — a grade

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