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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. net — in sport
  4. rule — government
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — of a word
  8. kick — in football
  9. bat — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. root — the cause
  15. net — after costs
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rule — a law
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — for catching
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — a strongbox

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