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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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