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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rule — government
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. spring — of water
  21. rule — a law
  22. object — an aim
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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