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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cell — in biology
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — a division
  7. cell — a phone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. roll — on a roll

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