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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a music group
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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