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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. can — a tin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ball — a dance
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a great time
  18. can — to be able to
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spell — magic
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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