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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — the time now
  6. last — finally
  7. present — a gift
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — high quality
  10. last — to go on
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a dance
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. last — final
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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