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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fine — all right
  3. cell — in biology
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — a trainer

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