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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: leaves · rock · pass · mug · bear · wound · tube · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pass — to spend time

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