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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. last — finally
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. last — final
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rule — a law
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. last — to go on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — to paddle

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