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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cell — in a prison

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