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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 116 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: ruler · deal · net · game · mug · lash · spring · charge

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mug — to rob
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — wild animals
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a face
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — for catching
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — the season
  24. net — in sport

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