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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rule — government
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rule — a law
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cell — in biology
  12. key — in music
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — a grade
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mark — a trace

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