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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. shower — rain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — final
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. last — finally
  19. club — a group
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fine — all right
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fine — high quality

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