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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. last — final
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — finally
  7. lie — to recline
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — of a plant
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. root — of a word
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — the cause
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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