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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lie — to recline
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cue — a signal

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