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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 124 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — certain
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rule — government
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — a law
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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