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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fine — all right
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — a container

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