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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: game · rule · wave · roll · toast · lash · deal · rash

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. toast — bread
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — a law
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. roll — a list
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. deal — a big deal

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