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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pop — soda
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cell — a phone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — a gift
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — there
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — music

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