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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. row — a line
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — a match
  19. kid — to tease
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — to paddle
  22. board — a committee
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — to get on

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