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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: cabinet · jam · cell · bound · bat · arm · lash · court

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bound — tied together
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — obliged
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. court — for sport
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bound — certain
  24. jam — in traffic

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