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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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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — a company
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. firm — steady
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — to cool the air

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