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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. lash — an eyelash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pop — music
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — a law
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — to sink

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