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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — to recline
  9. file — a tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rule — a law
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. file — a document
  21. rule — government
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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