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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fall — the season
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — of the year
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — decided
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — steady
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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