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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bass — low music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. bass — the fish
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. season — of the year
  20. land — ground
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cell — a phone

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