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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 124 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — in biology
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a song
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. toast — bread
  22. fall — the season
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — all right

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