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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: cell · spring · season · leaves · saw · chip · cabinet · row

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. season — of the year
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — to eat
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. row — to paddle
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. row — a line
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  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