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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a match
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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