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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — a phone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — in football
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cap — a hat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — hasty
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — a series
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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