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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cap — a lid
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — to roll

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