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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — a hint

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