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

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cell — in biology
  4. staff — a stick
  5. present — a gift
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — there
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. sharp — clever

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