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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: net · rash · pop · calf · ruler · lash · bound · lie

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — soda
  3. rash — a series
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. net — for catching
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — after costs
  24. lie — an untruth

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