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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 blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cell — a phone
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rule — government
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rule — a law
  24. leaves — of a tree

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