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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — in football
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. file — a document
  22. last — finally
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to dunk

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