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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a leader
  14. snap — to click
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — a stone
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rest — a break

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