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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a tool
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. court — of law
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. file — a line of people
  22. court — of a king
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — of a tree

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