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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. cell — in biology
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a document
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — to go on
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — the time now
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  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