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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fine — all right
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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