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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — completely
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. march — music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. march — the month

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