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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lean — thin
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ground — crushed
  18. net — in sport

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