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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pop — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — letters
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — a contest
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. race — humankind

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