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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. season — in sport
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — happening now
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cell — a phone
  9. season — of the year
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — in golf
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bear — the animal

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