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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. net — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bowl — to roll

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