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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a lid
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. cell — a phone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spring — of water
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wake — a trail
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spring — the season
  20. snap — to click
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — a hat

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