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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — in biology
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — to protest
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. spring — of water
  17. bass — the fish
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — a thing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lie — an untruth

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