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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. content — the amount
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — happy
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — to keep secret

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