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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. face — to confront
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — money
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. last — finally

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