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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — certain
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ball — a round shape

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