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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cell — a phone
  3. firm — steady
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — decided
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — to breed
  13. court — of law
  14. last — final
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — finally
  17. fine — all right
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cell — in biology
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — a company

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