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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rule — a law
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — in music
  8. rule — government
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. content — the amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rock — music
  20. content — happy
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — to rule out

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