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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. roll — a list
  17. wound — an injury
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. root — of a word
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — a group

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