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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. field — for sport
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tube — a container
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — bread
  18. fall — the season
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — employees

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