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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — a law
  6. bark — to shout
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — to get on
  12. branch — a division
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hide — to keep secret

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