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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — part of the body

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