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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mate — a partner
  3. last — to go on
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — final
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — a friend
  20. last — finally
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — in a race

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