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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — a hint
  6. net — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — in biology
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — after costs
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  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