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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. club — for golf
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — to get on
  7. club — a group
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. content — happy
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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