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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: squash · fall · lash · spell · foot · kick · rule · nail

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rule — government
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rule — a law
  15. squash — to crush
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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