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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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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: tear · cabinet · swing · lash · fan · ruler · bound · wave

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tear — from crying

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