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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.

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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — a box
  4. game — a match
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — decided
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. firm — steady
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hand — help
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hand — in cards

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