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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. last — final
  3. row — a line
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — to paddle
  14. swing — music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. swing — to play on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cell — a phone
  22. last — to go on
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — finally

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