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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a line
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — a match
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — an untruth

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