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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — child
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ruler — a monarch

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