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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rule — a law
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mug — a face
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. rule — government
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. mug — a cup
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cold — not warm
  18. present — a gift
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — to rob

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