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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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 — a phone
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pit — a hole
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — a break
  11. season — in sport
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — of the year
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — on your feet
  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