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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 120 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: rest · ruler · lash · wound · bear · foot · wind · mark

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rest — a break
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wound — an injury

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