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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · craft · spring · bat · cell · rest · object · ball

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. object — an aim
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — a series
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — boats
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bat — the animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rest — a break
  24. object — a thing

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