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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.

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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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