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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: lash · rule · cue · can · nail · chest · fall · mine

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — a box
  8. rule — government
  9. fall — the season
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rule — a law

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