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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.

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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. root — the cause
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — a series
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. root — of a plant

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