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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ground — a position
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mark — a grade
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — crushed
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mark — a trace

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