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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rule — government
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — a law
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spring — of water
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — of ice
  24. calf — a young animal

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