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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — the underground
  10. face — to confront
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bowl — to roll

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