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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — child
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — the season
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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