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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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Word bank
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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a trace
  8. content — the amount
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. content — happy
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — the season

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