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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — a series
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — humankind
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a great time

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