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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — to protest
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. clip — a video
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. object — a thing
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cell — a phone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. press — a publisher
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. press — to push
  20. wound — an injury
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wound — an injury

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