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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tube — a container
  8. last — final
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — government
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — music
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — a law
  24. last — to go on

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