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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — for pool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — to recline
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — a hint
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cell — in a prison

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