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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. firm — steady
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — a match
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — a company
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ruler — a monarch

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