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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. kid — to tease
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kid — child
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. root — of a word
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cell — in a prison

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