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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to sink
  7. object — a thing
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. roll — a list
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. object — an aim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rash — hasty
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. object — to protest
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — on the skin

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