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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. suit — in cards
  5. present — there
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bark — to shout
  8. suit — clothes
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — a law
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spell — magic
  15. present — the time now
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rule — government
  21. present — a gift
  22. suit — to fit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lash — to lash out

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