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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for dancing
  24. board — a committee

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