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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wind — moving air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — hasty
  7. charge — a price
  8. spell — a short time
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — the tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. drill — army training

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