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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — an illness
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a path
  24. tube — a container

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