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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fine — all right
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — there
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. present — a gift
  10. rule — government
  11. present — the time now
  12. bass — low music
  13. lean — thin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rule — a law
  24. fine — high quality

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