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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — the season
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lie — to recline
  23. firm — a company
  24. cell — in a prison

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