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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. court — of law
  4. pit — a hole
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — the arms race
  9. snap — to click
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — the sport
  12. court — for sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — a contest
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. race — humankind
  24. cell — a phone

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