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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cell — in biology
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cell — a phone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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