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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — in biology
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hand — help
  9. track — to keep track
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — a gift
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — there
  15. track — a path
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — a phone
  24. temple — side of the head

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