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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. file — a document
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a lid
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rush — hurry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to sink

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