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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. race — a contest
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — a law
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chest — a box
  18. rule — government
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. race — humankind
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. board — a committee
  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