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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: deal · fall · face · lean · lash · suit · ruler · stick

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — the season
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — to confront
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — thin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — to fit

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