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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a lid
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mine — for digging
  18. kick — in football
  19. current — of water
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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