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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rule — government
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — an aim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — to protest
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ground — a position
  17. object — a thing
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — the earth

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