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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — a leader
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lie — to recline
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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