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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cell — in biology
  3. capital — money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rock — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. capital — a city
  16. chest — a box
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rock — a stone

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