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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fine — all right
  18. rock — a 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