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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. object — an aim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — a division
  11. rule — a law
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rule — government
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — to protest
  22. fine — high quality
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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