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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. last — final
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — certain
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cell — in biology
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rock — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cold — not warm
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — a stone
  22. last — finally
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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