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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — of ice
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — a series
  20. cap — a lid
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — a grade
  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