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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. last — final
  7. chest — a box
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — to go on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. sharp — exactly

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