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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hand — help
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lash — an eyelash

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