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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. can — a tin
  7. cell — a phone
  8. row — a line
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — to be able to

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