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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — the fish
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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