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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ball — a great time
  5. march — the month
  6. object — to protest
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — an aim
  20. bound — tied together
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a dance
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cell — a phone

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