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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rule — government
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a document
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — a subject
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — for sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a line of people
  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