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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mate — a friend
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — to go away

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