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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — the sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cue — for pool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. net — in sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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