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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. firm — a company
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pop — soda
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pit — in a race
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bore — to drill
  23. firm — decided
  24. straw — a straw man

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