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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — a law
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rule — government
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rush — hurry

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