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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. last — finally
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. last — final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — to go on
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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