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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.

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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — to recline
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — help
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. net — in sport
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — in music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cell — in biology

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