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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a music group
  3. rule — a law
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mug — to rob
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. band — a ring
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mug — a face
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. charge — in control
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rule — government

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