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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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