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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chest — a box
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — government
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rock — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — in football
  23. stand — to bear
  24. staff — a stick

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