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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cell — in biology
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — a gift
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — there
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — on your feet

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