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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: present · wake · fork · tear · lash · ruler

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — there
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — to rip

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