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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to confront
  12. ground — the earth
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — all right
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ground — crushed

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