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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. march — the month
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. march — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — for light

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