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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. object — an aim
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — a thing
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. band — a music group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — government

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