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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. 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. charge — in control
  2. last — final
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. snap — to click
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. last — finally
  15. rule — a law
  16. shower — rain
  17. stand — to bear
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. last — to go on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kid — child
  23. charge — electricity
  24. 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