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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. field — for sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. field — a subject
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rule — government
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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