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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cell — a phone
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — to confront
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mate — to breed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. shower — to wash
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pound — to hit hard

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