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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. club — a group
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a ring
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. club — for dancing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a music group
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cell — a phone
  20. club — for golf
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fork — in a road
  23. snap — to click
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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