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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ball — a great time
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — the season
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  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