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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cell — a phone
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rule — government
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spell — magic
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. track — a song
  21. cell — in biology
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — letters

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