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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. band — a music group
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a ring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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