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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. band — a ring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cell — a phone
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. band — a music group
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — to roll

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