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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pop — music
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — help
  9. sharp — clever
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — soda
  17. lie — to recline
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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