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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — to come down
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fine — high quality
  16. tube — a container
  17. cell — a phone
  18. land — ground
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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