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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · ruler · fine · lash · rash · land · charge · track

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a path
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — moving air
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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