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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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468
Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kick — in football
  12. chest — of your body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — a law
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — a box
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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