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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pop — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — a company
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pop — soda
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — decided
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cell — in a prison

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