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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. staff — employees
  5. last — to go on
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — music
  10. last — final
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ball — a great time
  16. last — finally
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. swing — in golf
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — a container
  24. foot — the bottom

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