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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. land — to come down
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — ground
  6. capital — money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — to breed
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — a friend
  12. capital — a city
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rule — a law
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cue — a signal
  17. land — a country
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — in sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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