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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — a law
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — government
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — a hat
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cap — of ice
  24. hide — to keep secret

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