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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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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — final
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. last — finally
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — government

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