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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bound — certain
  24. squash — to crush

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