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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — of the year
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. snap — to click
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — a thing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cell — in biology
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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