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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — government
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — a price
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — a law
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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