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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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