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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — a stone
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — music

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