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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rock — music
  17. kick — in football
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — shares
  24. rock — to move gently

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