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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — a match
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. present — a gift
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — wild animals

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