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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — for golf
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. club — for dancing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — a price
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cell — a phone
  22. club — a group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — the tool

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