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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — a break
  7. rule — government
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rule — a law
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hand — help
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — to eat
  23. field — for sport
  24. rest — what's left

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