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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. root — of a word
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. root — the cause

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