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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stock — goods
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rule — a law
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — to rule 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