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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · rush · cold · mug · mate · leaves · pit · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cell — in biology
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pit — a hole
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mouse — the animal

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