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

Word bank: rule · wave · cell · rest · lash · foot

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — government
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rest — a break
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — to lash out

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