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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — of ice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cap — a hat

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