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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. root — of a word
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cell — a phone
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stand — to bear
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — out of danger

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