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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — government
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rush — hurry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. board — a committee
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fine — all right
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — a law
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — clever

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