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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. march — the month
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bound — certain
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — the season
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — the month
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cell — a phone
  23. race — humankind
  24. wave — of the sea

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