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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · chair · lean · ruler · ball · lash · rest · dip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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