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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. file — a tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — to come from
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a document
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — government
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — a law
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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