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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rash — hasty
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — government
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to click
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to confront

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