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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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