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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. branch — a division
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pop — soda
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — music
  24. squash — the sport

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