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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 120 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's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to click
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — steady
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. file — a tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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