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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mate — a partner
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — to eat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — for betting
  19. march — music
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — magic
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mate — to breed

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