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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: rule · stick · snap · press · calf · lash · hide · date

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — of the leg

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