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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lie — to recline
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. safe — out of danger

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