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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fan — a supporter

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