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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. spring — of water
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — a skill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rule — government
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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