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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: chair · bowl · lash · rule · rush · rock · stand · chest

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rule — government
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rule — a law
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chest — a box
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lash — an eyelash

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