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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bound — tied together
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tear — to rip
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rule — government

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