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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rule — government
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rule — to rule out

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