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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — a thing
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — to protest
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — of a tree

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