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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a match
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spring — the season
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. game — wild animals
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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