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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. band — a ring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cue — a signal
  6. band — a music group
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. kick — in football
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. dip — to sink

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