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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pop — soda
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wound — an injury
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — a law
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rule — government
  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