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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: stick · fall · fine · mug · march · rule · lash · mate

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rule — a law
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — government
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — the season
  18. mug — a face
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mate — to breed
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — high quality

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