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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lean — to bend
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — a company
  6. rule — government
  7. firm — steady
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — decided
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. content — the amount
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — a law
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lean — thin
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — the tool

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