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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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468
Word bank
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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — to be able to
  18. race — humankind
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. can — a tin

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