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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cell — in biology
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — crushed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spring — of water

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