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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — money
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. capital — a city
  24. arm — part of the body

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