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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mate — a partner
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spell — magic
  24. mate — to breed

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