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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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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: lash · temple · pit · cell · racket · deal · spell · cap

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spell — letters
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spell — magic
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — of ice
  24. temple — side of the head

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