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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. court — of a king
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. press — a publisher
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. press — to push
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rule — government

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