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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — there
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — government
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rule — a law
  14. present — a gift
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — in golf
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — high quality

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