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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. object — an aim
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fall — the season
  6. object — a thing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — to paddle
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — to protest
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cell — in biology
  22. staff — a stick
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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