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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. land — to come down
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — a country
  15. clip — a video
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rush — a thrill

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