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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a match
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — government
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. field — a subject
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — farmland
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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