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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chip — for betting
  4. land — to come down
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — ground
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — a gift
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — a country
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — thin
  21. present — there
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rush — a thrill
  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