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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — a division
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rash — a series
  24. pound — a weight

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