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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.

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 · ball · rock · sharp · key · bulb · cell · mate

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — to recline
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. key — in music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cell — a phone

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