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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. kid — to tease
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — for pool

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