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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rock — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cold — not warm
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cue — for pool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — a law
  15. cold — an illness
  16. band — a ring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. scale — size or range
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. scale — in music

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