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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — army training
  4. cell — a phone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rule — government
  14. suit — in cards
  15. field — for sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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