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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — in biology
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — to go on
  13. bat — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — finally
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — final
  24. dip — to dunk

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