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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tear — from crying
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — in football

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