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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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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rule — a law
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — to sink
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fine — high quality
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rule — government
  24. ruler — a monarch

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