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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: racket · coach · deal · rule · leaves · fall · lash · tear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rule — government
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fall — the season
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — of a tree

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