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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — there
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — a gift
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. march — music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. present — the time now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. degree — from a university

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