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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — a series
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cell — in biology
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — a thrill

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