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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. net — for catching
  5. court — of law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. court — for sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rule — government
  14. court — of a king
  15. net — after costs
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — a law
  20. tube — a container
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — in sport
  24. lean — to rest against

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