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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. rock — music
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. drill — army training
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wax — for sculpting

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