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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. track — a song
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. board — a committee
  24. mine — an explosive

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