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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rash — a series
  3. rule — government
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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