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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a hint

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