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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — a friend
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a music group
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — in biology
  24. nail — on a finger

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