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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. branch — a division
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hide — animal skin

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