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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lie — to recline
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cell — a phone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a great time
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. tube — a container
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — the underground

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