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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
468
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 · cell · bear · hand · pass · staff · key · rash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. key — in music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — help
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rash — a series
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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