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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rule — a law
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pop — music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pop — soda
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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