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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. club — for golf
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. club — for dancing

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