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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — a stone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rock — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tear — from crying

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