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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — finally
  12. cell — in biology
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cell — a phone
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — a line
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. stand — to bear

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