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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. club — for golf
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — a grade
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. club — a group
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — the animal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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