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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: swing · lash · mine · content · leaves · can · rule · cell

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. content — the amount
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rule — a law
  7. swing — music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — in biology
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rule — government

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