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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. swing — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — in football
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bound — certain
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — to handle
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rule — a law
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — government
  24. kick — with a leg

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