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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — to come down
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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