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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. bound — certain
  4. capital — a city
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — obliged
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lean — to bend
  21. craft — boats
  22. pop — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — soda

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