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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: season · deal · mark · lash · ruler · tear · shower · wave

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. season — of the year
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. deal — to handle

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