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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cell — a phone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — a division
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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