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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rock — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — steady
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — in a prison

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