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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 112 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — finally
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mate — a friend
  8. last — final
  9. cell — a phone
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cell — in biology
  24. chair — a professorship

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