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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — to get on
  6. snap — to click
  7. last — finally
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. last — to go on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bound — certain
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — a law
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — government
  22. last — final
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. board — a committee

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