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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — a signal
  4. row — a line
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. race — a contest
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. firm — steady
  21. race — humankind
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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