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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — in control
  5. court — of a king
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — for sport
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. charge — electricity
  14. row — to paddle
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — of law
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a line
  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