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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — a tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a ring
  17. race — a contest
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a music group
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the tool

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