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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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Word bank
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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: wave · charge · capital · rush · bound · lash · net · rule

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — in control
  6. rule — a law
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — certain
  9. net — for catching
  10. capital — money
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a city
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — government
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. charge — a price
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rush — to hurry

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