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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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Word bank
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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: mouse · race · ruler · mate · spring · dip · lash · fine

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — all right
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — the season
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — high quality
  10. race — humankind
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — a penalty

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