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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rule — government
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. court — for sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. court — of a king
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. roll — a list
  23. rule — a law
  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