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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a dance
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a committee
  8. fall — the season
  9. last — finally
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — to get on
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fall — to drop

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