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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rule — a law
  8. roll — a cake
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cell — in biology
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — government
  21. scale — in music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. roll — a list
  24. cell — a phone

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