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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. land — to come down
  3. cell — a phone
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — in music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. land — a country
  11. rash — a series
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — soda
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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