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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. band — a music group
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hand — help
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — a phone
  22. band — a ring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — to breed

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