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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — finally
  10. present — a gift
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — a trail
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — certain

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