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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: chair · dip · pitch · rule · lash · hide · stick · spell

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — a law
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

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