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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — for pool
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. face — to confront
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — in control
  10. rule — a law
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — a price
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — electricity

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