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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: ruler · bat · sharp · cold · bear · stem · charge · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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