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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. last — finally
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cue — a signal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — final
  16. band — a music group
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — on a finger

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