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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · firm · band · rock · mate · cell · foot · sharp

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a ring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in biology
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. firm — steady

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