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

Word bank: cell · bat · suit · pit · pass · bulb · lie · rule

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — in a race
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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