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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. club — for golf
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — to breed

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