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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — in a race
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rule — government
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. club — for dancing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cell — a phone

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