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

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spring — of water
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in biology
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rule — government
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rule — a law
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. current — of water
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — the season

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