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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. roll — a list
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cell — a phone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. current — of water
  9. last — final
  10. current — happening now
  11. last — finally
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — to go on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — electric
  19. scale — in music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hand — in cards
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in biology
  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