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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. branch — a division
  22. cell — in biology
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. charge — electricity

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