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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rock — a stone
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rock — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a ring
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. band — a music group
  16. rash — a series
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a rubber band

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