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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. last — to go on
  7. rest — a break
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. last — finally
  11. land — ground
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rule — government
  18. last — final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — a law

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