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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — music
  5. file — a document
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ball — a great time
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cabinet — ministers

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