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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.

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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — employees
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — certain
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cell — in biology
  10. staff — a stick
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ball — a dance

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