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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — hasty
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — to lash out

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