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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lean — thin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fall — the season
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cell — in biology
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — of the sea

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