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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spell — letters
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stock — shares
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cell — in biology
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spell — a short time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a hint
  24. patient — a sick person

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