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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chair — a professorship

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