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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. capital — money
  11. march — the month
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kick — in football
  18. capital — a city
  19. band — a ring
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — music

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