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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 blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. firm — a company
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — decided
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cold — not warm

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