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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — there
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — rain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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