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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — to protest
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cell — in biology
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cell — a phone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. chair — to sit on

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