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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. staff — a stick
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — in music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — for a lock
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — a face
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kick — in football
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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