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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. season — in sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mark — a grade
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pound — a weight

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