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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — low music
  23. cell — in biology
  24. can — to be able to

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