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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chip — for betting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. toast — bread
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — in cards
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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