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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: rash · ruler · fan · suit · lash · cell · tear · land

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. rash — a series
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cell — a phone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — in biology

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