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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — a contest
  7. rule — government
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. race — humankind
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. race — the arms race
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rule — a law
  22. band — a ring
  23. patient — a sick person
  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