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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cold — not warm
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — of law
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. court — for sport
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. court — of a king
  24. perch — for a bird

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