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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — to come down
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. race — the arms race
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. swing — music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chair — a leader
  12. land — a country
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — all right
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. race — a contest
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — humankind
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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