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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — of law
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. court — of a king
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — for sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — the animal

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