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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — the tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — a group
  16. drill — army training
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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