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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. swing — to play on
  3. land — to come down
  4. cell — a phone
  5. swing — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — a container
  9. cell — in biology
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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