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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 · suit · kick · fine · roll · rule · mouse · lash

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rule — government
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. roll — a list
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rule — a law
  10. kick — in football
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kick — with a leg

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