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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — to rob
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mug — a cup
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mug — a face
  20. cell — in biology
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — a loud noise

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