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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: cabinet · ruler · snap · spring · lash · chip · root · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chip — for betting
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — the cause
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spring — of water
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — of a word
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spring — the season
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to click
  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