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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — the season
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — clever
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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