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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a list
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — the season
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mate — a partner
  19. spring — of water
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lie — to recline

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