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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · straw · cabinet · rule · hide · lash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — a law
  18. hide — to keep secret

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