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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rule — government
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. row — a line
  11. rule — a law
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. face — to confront
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. face — to point toward

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