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

Word bank: bore · lash · rule · hide · arm · pit · toast · chair

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rule — government
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — bread
  24. chair — to sit on

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