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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fork — in a road
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spring — the season
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spring — of water
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — clever

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