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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. fine — high quality
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kick — in football
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stock — goods
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — certain
  18. fine — all right
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bound — obliged
  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