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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · pop · cell · cue · dip · hand · spell · fan

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. spell — letters
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — soda
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spell — magic
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — help
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hand — part of the body

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