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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitch — completely
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — certain
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — happy
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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