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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cell — in biology
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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