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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — in sport
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — temperature
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rest — a break
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — in biology

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