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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — an aim
  7. cell — a phone
  8. land — ground
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. land — a country
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — to protest
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. land — to come down
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. dip — to sink

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