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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — in music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cell — a phone
  10. kick — in football
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. scale — size or range
  14. drill — army training
  15. season — of the year
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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