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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mark — a trace
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — the time now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. present — there
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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