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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. key — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rule — a law
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. club — a group
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — for a lock

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