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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — hurry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — to crush
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rash — a series
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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