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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.

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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. scale — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. kick — in football
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rush — hurry

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