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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rule — government
  10. branch — a division
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fork — in a road
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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