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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cold — not warm
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mug — a face
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. branch — a division
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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