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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mine — an explosive

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