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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — the time now
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — a series
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. present — there
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rash — hasty

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