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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — in a race
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. current — electric
  24. pit — a hole

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