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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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