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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a plant
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — of a word
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ground — a position
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — for a hammer

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