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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — a phone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. object — to protest
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — a tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spring — of water

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