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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cell — in biology
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — a phone
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spring — of water
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tear — to rip
  20. face — to confront
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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