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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — in control
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. face — to confront
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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