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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — for paper
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. clip — a video
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — child
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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