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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. charge — in control
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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