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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. cold — an illness
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. prune — to trim

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