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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. craft — boats
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — to paddle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — a loud noise

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