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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: stick · lash · ruler · mine · rule · pit · last · lean

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — thin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a hole
  9. last — final
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rule — a law
  18. last — finally
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — to go on
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to rest against

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