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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. season — in sport
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — to come down
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — wild animals
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — in biology

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