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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. spring — the season
  4. cell — a phone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — in music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spring — of water
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cell — in biology
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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