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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. deal — to handle
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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