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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. row — a line
  8. root — of a word
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. court — of law
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. court — of a king
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  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