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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cell — in biology
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fine — all right
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — to lash out

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