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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. shower — rain
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. shower — to wash
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. object — an aim
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a ring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in biology
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a music group

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