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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fan · can · content · cell · club · mate · rule

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. club — a group
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — the amount
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — to breed
  10. content — happy
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. club — for golf
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for dancing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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