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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 · racket · lie · pop · lash · ruler · calf · board

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — to recline
  7. board — to get on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — soda

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