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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. content — the amount
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. present — there
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — a phone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lean — thin
  24. content — happy

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