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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chest — a box
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — in control
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cue — for pool
  19. charge — a price
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cue — a signal

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