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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: lash · squash · snap · bark · lie · charge · club · rule

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — in control
  8. club — for golf
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rule — a law
  14. squash — to crush
  15. club — for dancing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rule — government
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — to recline
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — to shout

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