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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — decided
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — steady
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. bat — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. leaves — of a tree

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