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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fan — a supporter

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