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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — to recline
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mate — to breed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — in music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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