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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 124 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — to rip
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tear — from crying
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rock — a stone
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lash — to lash out

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