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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pound — a weight
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — to sink

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