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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rule — a law
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. court — of law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lean — to bend
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. court — of a king
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rule — government
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — a thrill

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