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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rule — a law
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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