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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — temperature
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. suit — clothes
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — to crush
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. squash — the vegetable

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