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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: ball · lash · face · straw · ruler · last · pass · mine

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. last — final
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — finally
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a dance
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. face — to confront
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — to go on
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ball — a great time

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