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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. shower — rain
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wave — of the sea

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