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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — in football
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — government
  22. land — a country
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lash — an eyelash

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