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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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