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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: lash · foot · rule · club · wound · lean · rash · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — a law
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — thin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. foot — part of the body

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