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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. roll — a list
  7. firm — a company
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. firm — decided
  12. roll — a cake
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rest — a break
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in biology
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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