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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — of water
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — a path
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — a song
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. row — to paddle
  19. track — to keep track
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. spring — the season
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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