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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lean — thin
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ball — a great time
  6. march — the month
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. march — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. face — to point toward

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