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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. object — an aim
  5. present — there
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — child
  10. object — a thing
  11. cue — for pool
  12. scale — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. kid — to tease
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. perch — the fish
  23. present — a gift
  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