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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: kick · spell · content · rule · lie · bore · squash · lash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rule — a law
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — to crush
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — letters
  24. content — happy

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