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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pop — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — to get on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a committee
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cue — a signal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — soda

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