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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of a king
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lash — an eyelash

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