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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cell — a phone
  4. key — in music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fork — in a road
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — humankind
  11. cell — in biology
  12. root — of a plant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — a contest
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — to recline
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. fork — to eat with

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