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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rule — government
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a committee
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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