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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cell — a phone
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bowl — a dish

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