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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — government
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to click
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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