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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: staff · game · lash · cabinet · rule · hand · deal · last

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. game — a match
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. last — final
  15. hand — help
  16. last — to go on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. staff — employees
  19. rule — government
  20. hand — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — a stick

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