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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — government
  3. file — a tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rule — a law
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. file — a document
  19. row — a line
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. deal — to handle

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