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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fall — the season
  19. charge — a price
  20. bear — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. charge — in control

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