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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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468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a document
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rock — music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wave — with your hand

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