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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. rule — government
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — a law
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — a line
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — to rule out

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