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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. last — final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — magic
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cell — a phone

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