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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — in sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — a line
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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