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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ball — a dance
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a great time
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cold — an illness
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to click

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