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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — ground
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. land — to come down

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