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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hand — help
  6. game — wild animals
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spring — a coil
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spring — the season
  22. object — to protest
  23. game — a match
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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