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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — ground
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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