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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — a phone

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