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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — a match
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — ground
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — to come down
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — to breed
  22. land — a country
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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