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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cell — in biology
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ball — a dance
  9. field — farmland
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — to succeed

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