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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bound — certain
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — in sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — of a plant

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