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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — steady
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. file — a tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. firm — a company
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lie — to recline
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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