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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cell — a phone
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cell — in biology
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — a price
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — in control
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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