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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — a video
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — in a prison

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