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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — a measure
  7. chest — a box
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. charge — in control
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. charge — a price
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — a handicraft

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