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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
468
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: wound · fan · ruler · lash · court · snap · ground · pitcher

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to click
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. court — of law
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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