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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — for tennis

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