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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. root — of a word
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spell — letters
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. season — of the year
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — a law
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — in biology
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. root — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — in football
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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