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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. mark — a trace
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — there
  4. pit — in a race
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — a gift
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of law
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — the season
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. court — for sport
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  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