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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: leaves · squash · fork · lash · tear · ruler · pop · spring

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fork — to eat with

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