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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — government
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. toast — bread
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — a contest
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — humankind

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