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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — all right
  9. land — to come down
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cold — not warm
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — ground
  19. suit — in cards
  20. land — a country
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — clothes

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