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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — a series
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — with a leg

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