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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rule — government
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hand — help
  7. rule — a law
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mark — a trace
  21. roll — a list
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. toast — bread

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