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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — certain
  4. chest — a box
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to confront
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a hat
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — part of the head
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cap — of ice

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