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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cell — in biology
  9. game — a match
  10. pit — a hole
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — high quality
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cell — a phone
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — a face

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