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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — in music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — to recline
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — a hint
  9. march — the month
  10. cell — in biology
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cell — a phone
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cue — a signal
  19. march — music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to click
  24. pass — to spend time

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