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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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 — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — clever
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a song
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fall — the season
  13. present — a gift
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a path
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. present — there
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — the time now
  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