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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. rock — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — a stone

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