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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bulb — for light
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — high quality
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — in biology
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cap — of ice
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — an untruth

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