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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. firm — decided
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. band — a music group
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. firm — steady
  21. bat — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. temple — a place of worship

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