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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rule — government
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — to come down
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — music
  24. land — ground

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