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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. net — in sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — letters
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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