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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. plane — a tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. capital — money
  13. pop — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a city
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fine — all right
  19. wound — an injury
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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