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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pit — a hole
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. board — to get on
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. spell — a short time
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. content — happy

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