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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. suit — clothes
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — in cards
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — help
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  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