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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — a series
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. club — a group
  23. bat — for baseball
  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