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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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — a break
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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