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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. object — to protest
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ruler — a monarch

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