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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cap — of ice
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. swing — music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — to hurry

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