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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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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: land · rock · lash · object · leaves · bat · ruler · cap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bat — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — ground
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — a country
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. land — to come down

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