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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · staff · ruler · lash · chest · dip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chest — a box
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chest — of your body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chest — of your body
  18. staff — employees

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