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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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468
Word bank
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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 blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — high quality
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cold — an illness
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — in music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mug — to rob
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cold — not warm

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