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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. net — in sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. net — after costs
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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