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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — government
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — lets stay

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