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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — happening now
  9. cap — of ice
  10. craft — boats
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — help
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — to breed
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. current — of water
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cap — a hat

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