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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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468
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. object — a thing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. object — an aim
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — of the year
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — with your hand

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