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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. current — electric
  4. ball — a dance
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. current — happening now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — a phone
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — in a race

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