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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — an aim
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — a match
  6. object — to protest
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — a thing
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. game — wild animals

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