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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kick — in football
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rule — a law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rule — government
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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