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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.

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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a word
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a line
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — to paddle
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. scale — in music
  15. kid — child
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. root — of a plant
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kid — to tease
  22. root — the cause
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lash — to lash out

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