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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 120 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: lie · lash · spell · rule · pitch · ruler · hand · net

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — letters
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hand — help
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hand — in cards
  23. net — in sport
  24. spell — magic

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