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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — happy
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cell — a phone

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